03/11/2026
37 weeks is what you’re told.
43 and 73 weeks are what we’re seeing.
And that's before your Access to Work application has even been opened.
The latest DWP statistics don’t include waiting times. When you apply, you’re sent an automated message advising 37 weeks. Across the applications we support, we’re seeing:
⏳ Around 43 weeks for employed applicants
⏳ Around 73 weeks for self-employed applicants and directors, almost 17 months
⏳ Within 4 weeks for people applying before they start a new job
That’s the wait for an application to be opened, not assessed, not approved, just opened.
People trying to hold down jobs without the support they need. Self-employed people keeping their businesses running while they wait. People who’ve already overcome barriers to work, only to face another when they ask for the support designed to remove them.
These are our own figures, not DWP’s. But that’s the point: where is the transparency?
We’d like the DWP to publish clear, regularly updated waiting times by type of applicant, including how long it takes to open, decide and award.
Disabled people aren’t asking for special treatment. They’re asking for the support that enables them to work, without putting their livelihoods on hold.
